Work with Santa Clara County School Districts

 Purpose of Talk  Data on California Youth Suicides  Santa Clara County Suicide Prevention Efforts  Justification For a Suicide Prevention Policy  A Suicide Prevention Policy  Taking Action  Motivation/Situation  Obstacles/Difficulties  Results and Other Mental Health Factors  Recommendation  Contact Information  Questions and Answers

 Two reasons: ◦ All Santa Clara County school districts personnel should know if your district:  Adopted a suicide prevention policy and administrative regulations (ARs)  If the ARs are being implemented ◦ My personal mission:  Prevent individuals from seriously harming themselves or taking their lives  Partially accomplish this objective through awareness and training

 The data on California children/youth (0-19 years old) suicides (1991 – 2012): ◦ Total suicide deaths: 3,784 ◦ Average annual number of suicide deaths: 172 ◦ There are at least twelve, active, youth suicide clusters statewide ◦ Youth percentage of total suicides(all ages):5%

 The data on California children/youth (0-19 years old) for suicide attempts: ◦ Hospitalizations (1991 – 2012):  Total non-fatal injuries: 65,000  Average annual number of suicide attempts: Between 2,500 to 3,000 ◦ Emergency room visits (2006 – 2012):  Total non-fatal injuries: almost 56,000  Average annual suicide attempts: 7,500 to 10,000 ◦ Youth percentage of total suicide attempts(all ages):25%

California Children/Youth (0-19)1991 to CountySuicide DeathsHospitalizationsER Visits Los Angeles89117,26911,445 San Diego County3145,5124,489 San Bernardino County2533,9563,785 Orange County2486,1043,767 Riverside County1894,6433,666 Sacramento County1792,0002,573

 In Santa Clara County these actions occurred: ◦ A Santa Clara County Suicide Prevention Advisory Committee (SPAC) formed  Produced Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan (2010)  Including a Needs Analysis: children (0 - 15) and young adults (16 – 25)  Strategy Four: Implement Policy and Governance Advocacy to Promote Systems Change in Suicide Awareness and Prevention  School composition: Thirty Two (32) school districts plus County Office of Education

 Here are some justifications: ◦ A critical time for mental heath conditions: the teenage years ◦ Suicide: the third leading cause of death for 10 – 19 year olds ◦ A call to have school suicide prevention strategies: Superintendent Torlakson’s January 2013 letter ◦ Parental concerns about children mental-emotional health: Lucile Packard Children's Health Council Bay Area parents survey(2006) ◦ School children do exhibit mental health conditions: Santa Clara County study -- Every Child Has a Story: The Need For Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Services (2008) ◦ School psychologists have concerns: National Association of School Psychologist (NASP) Presidents’ Call To Action letter (2009)

“Even if legal liability is uncertain, however, no agent of a school board should ignore a student’s cries for help; and no school board should ignore the possibility that a well-defined suicide prevention policy, combined with staff training and accessible higher officials, could further reduce the chances that this sort of suit will ever be considered.” (Student Suicides and School System Liability by Cindy Singer Cafaro, page 28)

 The California School Board Association has templates for:  Standard suicide prevention policy (BP )  Administrative regulation (AR )

 Here is what mine would have:  Education and training program to improve awareness  Communication approaches and plan  Data/surveillance collection and analysis  Interventions and Screening programs  A peer support organization  Crisis planning including follow-up response (i.e. crisis response team) Continued

 Here is what mine would have additionally:  Parental involvement  Reference existing state, county, and other school district suicide prevention plans  Timeline to implement strategies  Funding suggestion(s)  Distribution plan  An annual update of accomplishments and next steps

 Between 2013 – 2014 requests were made: each of Santa Clara County school district superintendent ed/asked to adopt a suicide prevention policy  ed supporting documents, including: ◦ Sample suicide prevention policies ◦ The Executive Summary, Santa Clara County’s Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan (2010) ◦ The California State Superintendent of Public Education Tom Torlakson’s January 2013 letter ◦ A free online suicide prevention training (QPR) flyer ◦ A resource list ◦ A resource letter to a school district with significant student suicidal ideation and attempts

 If a school district superintendent did not respond, then: ◦ A follow-up sent, noting attendance at an upcoming school board meeting ◦ Spoke during public comment section ◦ Co-presented with a school district board of education member, when possible ◦ Requested a suicide prevention policy and administrative regulations ◦ Stated the number of county school districts that had adopted a Suicide Prevention Policy and Administrative Regulations ◦ Provided handouts  Where time permitted: ◦ Engaged school district PTA Council members and parents ◦ Met with teachers’ union officers

 Looked at additional actions to encourage a suicide prevention policy  Wrote a report: ◦ Asked all school district superintendents and school board chairpersons to review  Noted the report would be revised per additional policy approvals ◦ Delivered a copy to the county board of education and county superintendent ◦ Provided a copy to the county mental health director ◦ Sent a report to the California Office of Education (David/Monica) ◦ Distributed this report hither and yond

 Here is what motivated me? ◦ The number of teenage deaths in Santa Clara County: Thirty three teenage suicides (2009 to 2012) ◦ Having met more than the normal number of school districts’ superintendents all because of tragedies ◦ Being informed of several school districts experiencing suicide contagions/clusters ◦ Being asked to assist schools experiencing increasing numbers of children/youth suicide attempts

 I experienced the following:  School districts personnel did not have time  Recent education requirement changes made school personnel even busier  In some cases, board members or staff were not aware of an existing school district suicide prevention policy  A suicide prevention policy existed but was not acknowledged  Gamut (an online application) can be very helpful

 There were slow and gradual outcomes: ◦ Five school districts: SP policy & ARs prior to 2010 ◦ Four school districts: SP policy & ARs in 2010 ◦ Five school districts: SP policy & ARs in 2012 ◦ Ten school districts: SP policy & ARs since June 2013 ◦ Four school districts: considering a SP policy & ARs ◦ Three school districts: no indication of any action ◦ One district: unique, so no request  Santa Clara County Office of Education: SP policy & ARs

Alum Rock Union School DistrictFremont Union High School DistrictMilpitas Unified School DistrictSan Jose Unified School District Berryessa Union School DistrictGilroy Unified School DistrictMoreland School DistrictSaratoga Union School District Campbell Union High School DistrictLakeside Joint School DistrictMount Pleasant School DistrictSunnyvale School District Campbell Union School DistrictLoma Prieta Joint Union School DistrictMountain View Los Altos High School District Union Elementary School District East Side Union High School DistrictLos Gatos Union School DistrictOak Grove School District Evergreen School DistrictLos Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union H.S. DistrictOrchard School District Franklin-McKinley School DistrictLuther Burbank School DistrictPalo Alto Unified School District Santa Clara County Office of Education

ALPINE COUNTY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTFairfield-Suisun Unified School DistrictSalinas Union High School District Beaumont Unified School DistrictFORTUNA UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICTSANTA MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Claremont USDGonzales Unified School DistrictSANTA YNEZ VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT Chula Vista Elementary School DistrictLompoc Unified School DistrictSCOTT VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Davis Joint USDMurrieta Valley Unified School DistrictWoodland Joint Unified School District EL RANCHO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTPleasanton Unified School District

 Santa Clara County school districts use third-party/contract mental health services providers: ◦ Most school districts use a contracted mental health provider ◦ There is no predominate mental health provider, instead there are many service agencies ◦ Mental health providers may not be well versed in suicide prevention techniques

 In Santa Clara County some school districts have: ◦ Memorandum of understanding with Mental Health Department for services (School Linked Services) ◦ Trainings:  Mental Health First Aid  Suicide prevention gatekeeper program (Question, Persuade, and Refer)

On July 21, 2014, California State Superintendent of Public Education Tom Torlakson issued a letter encouraging all California school district superintendents and charter school administrators to adopted a student suicide prevention policy and administrative regulations.

 If your school district does not have a suicide prevention policy and administrative regulations, advocate for one.  If your school district does have a suicide prevention policy and administrative regulations, see that the ARs are implemented.

Contact: Victor Ojakian

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